'Kannada please': Bengaluru man slams Urban Company staff for cancelling cleaning service over language issue

"It’s disheartening that speaking Kannada in my own home in Karnataka could lead to service denial," the man posted on X.

A Bengaluru man on social media has alleged that the service provider company Urban Company cancelled his bathroom cleaning service after he requested the workers to communicate in Kannada.

In a post on X, the man said that he had booked a bathroom cleaning service from Urban Company.

The man alleged that two workers had arrived at his house for the work after which he showed them the bathroom which needed cleaning.

One of the workers spoke in a language which was unfamiliar to the man, who then responded saying, "Kannada please."

The man said that the second worker too spoke in a language which he didn't understand, leading to communication and language barrier.

The post read, "Today I learned that knowing a particular language might be necessary even to get basic services like bathroom cleaning in my own home. Thanks for the lesson @urbancompany_UC @UC_Assist."

"I had booked a bathroom cleaning service via Urban Company. Two people arrived, and I showed them the bathroom to be cleaned. One of them started speaking in a language I couldn’t understand. I told them “Kannada,” but the conversation continued in an unfamiliar language. Then the second person started speaking - again, not in Kannada. I repeated my request: "Kannada, please"."

The man further said that the workers telephoned someone who spoke Kannada and the person on the other end told him that the workers complained about him saying that he was speaking only in Kannada.

To this, the man replied on the phone that he had booked just a service which didn't even require any kind of communication between him and the workers.

In the social media post he wrote, "Eventually, they called someone on the phone who spoke Kannada. That person told me that the cleaners were complaining that I was speaking only in Kannada. I told him, 'I’ve booked a service, showed them the bathroom—they just need to clean it and leave. Why is language even a barrier here'?"

"Surprisingly, the person said it’s difficult for their workers if the customer speaks only Kannada. I responded, “I haven’t asked them to write poetry about my bathroom. Just clean and leave. What’s the issue?” Then they called Urban Company’s customer care, who also said she couldn’t speak Kannada. Since I prefer to be served in my own language, I didn’t continue the call," the post further read.

The man said that after a bit of explanation (which didn't work), the two workers cancelled his booking service and walked out of his house.

He wrote, "What I still don’t understand is—why should language even be a barrier for such a straightforward service? And if there is a need for communication, shouldn’t Kannada be the first choice in Karnataka? I remained polite throughout and even said, "Sir, clean maadakke bhashe yaake beku? Banda kelasa mugisikondu hogi." But their attitude was cold and dismissive."

"It’s disheartening that speaking Kannada in my own home in Karnataka could lead to service denial. Urban Company, if you're offering services here, shouldn't language inclusion be a priority? To all Kannadigas—this experience made me think. Let’s not lose our ground. The road ahead looks challenging, but we must stay strong."

Urban Company replied to the man's X post apologising for the inconvenience caused to him and would assist him in the matter.

The company replied, "Hi, Thank you for reaching out to us. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you faced. We would like to assist you with this matter. May we have your registered mobile number or email address via DM to check this further?"